


Uther's Reaction

by theonceandfuturequeen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-10
Updated: 2011-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-20 07:38:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/210323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonceandfuturequeen/pseuds/theonceandfuturequeen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Accompanying story to 'Call it 'Destiny'' showing Uther's reaction to Arthur's televised admission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uther's Reaction

**Author's Note:**

> This is an short accompanying piece to my earlier story, 'Call it 'Destiny'' (found here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/189152) which you will need to have read in order to understand this story.

Uther Pendragon always made a point to watch his son's show in the morning. He knew most people, his family included, thought him cold and heartless. Maybe they were right, maybe he was, but if there was one thing he loved, it was his son Arthur.

Uther took a sip from his outrageously strong coffee, hissing slightly at the bitterness of it, as he watched his Arthur nervously shuffle his papers on his knee. He was curious as to why, he knew something had certainly been up with Arthur since Uther had introduced him to Elena.

"Elena? No, Lance. I'm not dating Elena, I'm gay."

 _What?!_ Uther spat out his mouthful of coffee, spraying dark droplets across his desk. He coughed violently as his face turned red and his eyes filled with salty tears. Once he'd regained his composure, he watched in a blank state of shock as the show continued, as if Arthur had not just revealed to the entire nation that he was gay.

"That boy will be the death of me," Uther sighed emphatically, dropping his head into his hand morosely. Anger began to well up inside him as his fury over finding out like this caught up with Uther. He lifted his head and brought his clenched fist down on the table harshly, causing the computer screen to rattle. He reached for his phone and forcefully jabbed the button which connected him to his assistant.

"Can I help you Sir?" came a cheery voice from the other line. Uther made a quick mental note to fire her. She was much too happy, all the time.

"Get my son up here straight away," he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.

"Of course Sir," she replied delightedly, and Uther could practically hear the beaming smile on her face. "I expect you'll be wanting to say how proud you are. It was a very brave thing he just did then."

Uther hung up.

***

Arthur kicked the door closed, shoving Merlin roughly up against the wood. He attacked his mouth hungrily, one hand cradling the back of Merlin's hair, fingers entangled in the raven tresses whilst the other pushed up Merlin's coffee stained shirt to run his fingers across the soft skin of his stomach.

Merlin moaned loudly, as Arthur moved his lips down to his neck. A sharp ring cut through the atmosphere and Arthur briefly withdrew his mouth from Merlin's collarbone to mumble, "The machine will get it," before continuing his assault on Merlin's neck, biting down gently. A beep signified the start of a message and Arthur was forced to stop when he heard what it said.

"Hello Mr Pendragon," it began jovially. "This is Kate calling from your fathers office. He wishes for you to come see him straight away. Goodbye."

Arthur drew his gaze back to Merlin who was looking at him tentatively, his lower lip caught between his teeth.

"Right…" Arthur began, his voice unnaturally high. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Merlin's collar. "I forgot about that."

He looked up to see a brief smile ghosting across Merlin's lips before he leant down to place a kiss on the top of Arthur's head. "Go," Merlin said softly. "You need to talk to him, he deserves that."

Arthur slowly realised Merlin from where he had him pinned against the wooden door, allowing him to gently slide back down to the ground. He nodded nervously, afraid to ask for what he wanted.

"Will you…" he began, the slightest of tremors in his voice. He trailed off before swallowing and trying again. "Will you come with me?"

Merlin stroked his cheek tenderly, brushing his thumb across his cheekbone. "Of course I will," he replied quietly. "But when you actually talk to your father, that you'll need to do alone."

Arthur nodded in understanding. "Okay," he said, running a hand through his hair. He reached to grab his coat from where he had flung it across the chair in his earlier fit of passion. "Let's go."

Merlin nodded, opening the door and starting down the corridor. He had only got a few steps before Arthur stopped him, spinning him around. Merlin looked at him with a puzzled look. "What?"

Arthur raised his eyebrow and looked pointedly down towards his outstretched hand. When Merlin still didn't clock in, he rolled his eyes exasperatingly and grabbed Merlin's hand, entwining their fingers together. "I'm not hiding anymore," Arthur said meaningfully.

A look of realisation dawned on Merlin's face followed by a silly smile as he caressed the back of Arthur's hand with his fingers. The pair began to walk towards the lift and Arthur felt that, in this moment, with Merlin's hand locked in his, that he could do anything in the world. He could reign down immortal armies, ride into battle and even face his father, as long as he had Merlin by his side.

***

It was not nearly long enough of a journey for Arthur who still had not figured out what he was going to say to his father. What could he say? _'So Dad, I've dated girls all my life but Merlin is pretty great and really good at giving head so I thought I'd give guys a whirl.'_ Somehow, he didn't think that would fly too well.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice when the lift arrived at the floor of his father's office with a loud ping until Merlin gently tugged on his hand, leading them into the carpeted hallway.

He offered a tight smile to his father's receptionist -- Kath? Katie? Kate, that was it -- who responded with a wide grin and ushered him in straight away. Arthur turned to Merlin.

"Here goes," Arthur sighed despondently.

"I'll be right out here," Merlin replied, letting go of Arthur's hand begrudgingly. "When you're done, we can go get some tapas."

Arthur let out a soft laugh in spite of his nerves. "Tapas?" Merlin was so random sometimes.

"Yes," Merlin said, an excited grin plastered across his face. "I'm in the mood for tapas." He seemed to contemplate this for a moment before adding as an afterthought, "And Sangria!"

Arthur dropped his head, shaking it but smiling all the same. "I love you," he said simply, dropping a gentle kiss on Merlin's lips, before heading towards the door to the office and entering.

He quickly located his father sitting in his chair, his back to the door and a glass of scotch on the table. Arthur frowned and looked at his watch which read 12:37. He briefly wondered whether he should be worried about that but brushed it aside, saving it for another day and another confrontation.

"Father?" Arthur's voice seemed so loud in the large and silent room. Uther started before turning around to face Arthur, their gazes interlocking. He did not speak.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak but found no words to utter. The tension in the room grew as Uther continued to stare at Arthur, waiting for an explanation Arthur didn't have.

Finally, the atmosphere became unbearable and Arthur, needing to break it, just said the first thing which came to mind. Unfortunately for Arthur, it wasn't the smartest.

"So I'm guessing you saw the show and you've called me here to tell me that you don't want a bloody poofter for a son and to tell me to break it off with Merlin or you'll cut me off--" Uther opened his mouth to speak at this point but Arthur simply held up his hand and continued his speech -- "but I'm here to tell you that I don't care if you do. I love Merlin and that's not about to change and…so…there."

Arthur turned around, his hand already on the door handle when Uther's voice calling his name rang through room, stopping him in his tracks. He took a deep breath and turned around to face his father, who had now come around to the front of his desk. Arthur lifted his head to meet his father's eye and found himself surprised by the look of genuine shock that marred his features.

"I don't know what made you think I was going to disown you Arthur but I can assure you, it's not the case," Uther said, his voice almost carrying a hint of betrayal.

"You're not?" Arthur questioned, his voice an octave higher than usual.

Uther shook his head slowly. "While I admit, it was a tad unexpected, not to mention _unbelievably_ thoughtless way you admitted it on _live television_ \--" Arthur winced at that. Retroactively, it had been pretty stupid. Uther continued, "What does bother me, is that you didn't feel you could tell me."

Arthur blinked. Of all the things he had imagined his father might say, he could honestly say that was not one of them. "So you don't care that I'm gay? That I'm dating a man?"

Uther sighed, placing two fingers at the pressure point in his temple. "Well, I care, obviously!" He pulled his hand away from his forehead in frustration, to grab his glass off the table. He took a small sip followed a moment later by a considerably larger one. "I care Arthur, I just--" he sighed, clearly not able to express what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and started again.

"What I mean to say is, I care about your life and what you do. You are the most important thing I've ever done Arthur, how could you think I would just cut you out?"

Arthur was speechless. "I don't know, I just assumed…" He trailed off, staring at his father in wonder

"Well, don't," Uther said, with an air of finality. "I know I'm old and set in my ways and, while I may not approve of decisions you make and fully understand them, you are my only son and I will always support you in them."

***

Uther stepped up to Arthur and pulled him into a gruff one-armed hug. When he pulled away a few seconds later, Uther almost laughed at the shellshocked expression on Arthur's face. "Now, I expect us to meet for lunch tomorrow where you can explain all of this properly. Right now, I think you should get back to that boy -- is it Mervyn?" He patted him on the shoulder, and ushered him out the door quickly before he collapsed with his back against it.

"Wheres my scotch?" he muttered to himself. Before he could lift himself from his position against the door to scour out another bottle, he heard Arthur's voice outside followed by another voice. A few moments later, there was a soft knock at his door, so quiet Uther wasn't sure if he'd imagined it. He slowly opened it to find Arthur shifting from one foot to the other, and the boy standing by his side.

When Arthur didn't say anything after a minute, Uther raised eyebrow in question. The dark haired man poked him with a pale finger, an amused look on his face.

"Merlin and I" -- _that was it, Merlin!_ \-- "were wondering if you wanted to join us for some...tapas?"

Uther had to rapidly disguise a bark of laughter at the Arthur's face twisted when he had said: 'tapas' as a cough. He smiled inwardly to himself. Oh, he could see that Merlin was going to be good for Arthur already.

"And sangria," Merlin added with a large grin. Arthur glanced at Merlin for a second, before turning back to nod at Uther, a weary smile across his face.

"And…" Arthur seemed to have difficulty getting his words out."Sangria," he repeated, looking at Uther almost apologetically.

Uther looked from one happy smiling face to the other apprehensive one. It had already been the most bizarre day in Uther's lifetime; what harm was a bit more insanity going to do?

"Oh, go on then," he sighed, Arthur's face relaxing as he did so. "Why not?"

Merlin's grin grew almost impossibly wider as he clapped his hands together. "Brilliant! I know a great place not far from here, they actually have a special lunchtime offer on weekdays, if I remember rightly. They play some great flamenco music as well…" Merlin wandered off towards the reception, still nattering away mainly to himself although Arthur was obliged by Relationship Law to interject every now and then with a carefully placed: "Hmm" or "Yeah."

"Oh!" Merlin stopped in his tracks suddenly. "I just remembered! If we're seated before two then they give you a sombrero to wear during your meal. It's so much fun! Hurry, it's nearly one now!" He began walking briskly towards the lift and jabbing the button enthusiastically, as Arthur caught Uther's eye, who looked rather shellshocked by Merlin's inane chatter.

Arthur patted his father's back in pity. "You get used to it," he said sympathetically, gesturing into the lift for Uther then stepping inside himself. "I hope," he added as the lift doors clanged shut and it began to whirr towards the ground.

Uther thought longingly of his quiet office and his bottle of scotch and wondering exactly what he had got himself into.

(Uther did not like the sombrero. Just like Uther definitely did _not_ get drunk off sangria and start singing karaoke and any photographic evidence which one _Mer_ lin may show you in which Uther appears to be wearing a poncho is fake and complete utter lies and not in the slightest bit genuine. At all.)

The End


End file.
